


Mute.

by Werepirechick



Series: These blood red eyes, don't see so good, but what's worse is if they could. [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Gen, Guilt, Implied abuse, One Shot, Physical Abuse, Short One Shot, in which i crush everyone's feelings as well as my own with well placed b-team angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 23:41:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9147175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Werepirechick/pseuds/Werepirechick
Summary: Donnie saw the movement coming before it happened.He saw it in the way Raph’s shoulders tensed, the split second before he whipped out his fist and decked their youngest sibling. Mikey’s head snapping sideways, his nunchucks slipping from his hands, and his feet going out from under him; all in a single violent second.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the gifset circling tumblr, of Raph fucking decking Mikey for no reason other than fidgeting in an elevator, and no one stopping him or checking on Mikey afterwards. (Its from one of the upcoming episodes, I'm not looking forwards to watching it happen for real.)
> 
> What the fuck Nick, What The Fuck.

 

 

Donnie saw the movement coming before it happened.

He saw it in the way Raph’s shoulders tensed, the split second before he whipped out his fist and decked their youngest sibling. Mikey’s head snapping sideways, his nunchucks slipping from his hands, and his feet going out from under him; all in a single violent second.

Donnie flinched back minutely, internal alarms blaring at the aggressive action. He composed himself immediately after, forcing down his panic. He hadn’t even made a sound of shock, doing his best to avoid attracting attention to himself.

Raph lowered his fist, and quiet returned to the elevator ride. The grim silence was only broken by Mikey groaning on the cold metal floor, clutching his temple as they rose higher into the building.

Donnie only let himself glance down once- rapidly tracing Mikey’s neck and head for any serious injury- before he forced himself to stare forwards again.

He swallowed thickly, and took a quiet breath.

_Don’t attract attention. Don’t make yourself the target. Don’t say anything, no matter what._

Raph was still tense, large shoulders squared in a way that radiated anger. Donnie wasn’t eager to bring that anger onto himself, like Mikey had.

Just a simple thing, Mikey fidgeting with his nunchaku while they waited. Rhythmic tapping with them to likely calm himself; to release his building tension and stress.

Donnie had had a hunch what would happen, how their brothers would react to Mikey trying to lift that grim tension.

He hadn’t said anything. He never said anything.

Donnie stared forwards, and refused to let himself look down again at Mikey; his brother still shaking off the wooziness of the hit, holding the side of his skull as he struggled to stand up.

Donnie pretended he didn’t hear Mikey’s hisses of pain under his breath.

Donnie pretended he hadn’t seen the way Leo had also curled his fist at Mikey’s fidgeting, or the curt nod he gave Raph after Mikey had fallen.

Donnie pretended he didn’t see the smugness in Raph’s posture for what he’d done, or the way he flexed his fist again as Mikey stood up.

Donnie pretended he didn’t see anything.

_Don’t say anything, don’t say anything, don’t say anything-_

_Don’t make yourself the target._

Donnie had learned the hard way; it was better to stay out of it and say nothing, rather than become the target. Then it was both of them caught in things, and that never helped anything.

It was him or Mikey, Mikey or him.

That’s just how it was.

Donnie kept staring ahead blankly, keeping his sight line above Mikey in front of him. He didn’t look at his brother as they rose higher into the building. Donnie didn’t look at how Mikey kept touching the sore spot on his temple, and the probably smarting muscles of his neck.

Donnie had heard the dull impact of Raph’s fist to Mikey’s temple, and the following sound that came from Mikey’s head snapping to the side.

Donnie knew, instinctively, there’d be bruising later.

He didn’t move forwards to check, didn’t reach out to comfort Mikey.

 _Don’t say anything. Don’t make yourself the target._ _Don’t attract attention to yourself._

It was just easier to stay out of the way, to keep clear until their brothers were done venting their frustrations. Donnie kept out of it, and Mikey did the same when it was Donnie’s turn.

The elevator doors opened, and Donnie dared to finally glance at his brothers again.

Raph and Leo weren’t even looking at them, focused on running out into the enemy base. Casey followed them, still ignoring Donnie and Mikey’s presences.

Mikey was steady on his feet again, and had returned to being silent and grim. His weapons were weapons again, instead of a momentary stress relief.

Donnie looked away, and put his eyes forwards.

As they charged into battle, he didn’t say anything. He never did.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> IDK about anyone on here, but like.... TMNT 2012 has slipped pretty far into the Abuse Zone lately. Its just one thing after another, and like... I am concerned and upset by this.  
> The shit that the older brothers do to the younger ones... hhhhhh, it was iffy even back in season one, but at least then they sometimes Apologized.  
> Now though... no one even Says Anything when Donnie or Mikey get pushed around. Its distressing and mildly infuriating.
> 
> Its good for angst fics, not so much for the actual series. :/


End file.
